I Am The Swarm-Chapter 725: Counterattack

The giant nets were made of special materials. Though they appeared light and thin, upon exploding and reacting with the air, they would generate another substance that increased their weight.

This function required real-time adjustments based on the planet’s atmospheric composition, showing just how much effort the Ji race had invested in capturing the Swarm Empress. Fortunately, this planet had previously belonged to the Interstellar Technological Confederation, so the Ji race possessed detailed data on its atmospheric composition. Otherwise, even with their advanced technology, it would have been difficult for them to measure, produce, and equip new ammunition within a short time frame.

Though the canister rounds for the giant nets were small, they were quite heavy, weighing nearly ten kilograms each. Once deployed and reacted with the air, their weight increased by over a hundredfold.

The net rounds continued to be fired and detonated, layer upon layer enveloping the Swarm Empress. They sealed any gaps in the mesh. If not for the slight bulge at the center, one might not even realize a humanoid creature was trapped inside.

The cumulative weight of so many nets was staggering. Judging by the height of the bulge, though the Swarm Empress remained upright, her height was gradually decreasing. It was nearly impossible for her to bend under the entanglement of the nets. The current situation indicated that the Swarm Empress’s feet were being pressed into the ground by an unimaginable weight.

Keep in mind, they were nearly a kilometer underground, where the soil was compacted and filled with gravel. Even leaving a footprint on the surface was challenging, let alone sinking into it like this.

“Truly astonishing.”

“Indeed, the strength of that bio-armor is beyond imagination.” Some Ji soldiers couldn’t help but marvel at the sight before them.

By now, nearly a hundred layers of nets had accumulated. The Swarm Empress at the center was bearing tens of tons of pressure. Under such conditions, the fact that she hadn’t been crushed into pulp spoke volumes about the extraordinary resilience of her bio-armor.

Among the Ji forces, only their powered exoskeletons could match such strength. A standard combat suit would have long been reduced to mush under this pressure. However, the powered exoskeletons achieved this level of durability through thicker structures, whereas the miniaturization of the Swarm Empress’s armor was far superior.

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“Don’t let your guard down. Teams One and Two, continue attacking at the original pace. The rest, stay alert! Send two more people to deliver net rounds to Teams One and Two!” The rapid firing from earlier had depleted their ammunition too quickly. At the previous rate, their remaining supply wouldn’t suffice.

Thus, the squad leader ordered the remaining ammunition to be gathered. Only two squads maintained the previous pace, while the rest stood guard.

However, the atmosphere on-site had visibly relaxed. With the situation as it stood, the Swarm Empress clearly had no means of resistance left. All that remained was to wait for reinforcements to arrive, then, with the help of more K2N9 units, collapse the nets into a bundle and carry away the captured Swarm Empress.

“How long until reinforcements arrive?”

“They’re right above us, waiting for the K2N9s to get into position before descending!”

“Excellent, everyone. We’ve accomplished something big here.”

“I hope this merit will get me promoted a few ranks.”

“If I make it back, I might choose to retire. Real battle is nothing like immersive virtual experiences.”

“True, this is a permadeath mode. But, buddy, if this were a movie, those words would be a death flag.”

“Hah, I already checked. The Swarm reinforcements are being held at least two kilometers away by our people. In this situation, there’s no way the target can turn things around.”

“You never know!” A slightly low-pitched female voice suddenly rang out in the ears of the complacent Ji soldiers. T

hough appearing relaxed, their nerves were still taut. One soldier leapt up and performed a tactical roll.

But despite his quick reaction, before he could complete the roll and rise, a blade pierced through the back of his helmet. The tactical helmet, with a defensive strength several times higher than the combat suit, offered no resistance at the point of impact, as if erased by an eraser. The blade emerged from the front visor.

“Attack!” the squad leader shouted hoarsely. “Be careful—it’s a Negative Energy Blade!”

Due to the brief pause after the stab, they had already seen the attacker’s face—it was none other than the Swarm Empress, who should have been trapped in the net array. From the energy she still possessed to use the Negative Energy Blade, it was clear that her earlier display of energy depletion and inability to use the Negative Energy Shield had all been an elaborate ruse. Her goal was to lure them into depleting their net rounds so she could strike decisively in one fell swoop.

Indeed, the net array that was supposed to trap the Swarm Empress now had a large hole, as if wiped clean.

The Ji soldiers opened fire wildly, forgetting all orders to capture the target alive. The Swarm Empress now displayed even more exaggerated speed and ferocity in her attacks. Within moments, she had taken down five Ji soldiers.

Without equivalent energy protection, their high-tech tactical suits were as useless as tofu against the seemingly bug-like existence of the Negative Energy Blade.

“Deploy smoke grenades!”

Previously, the Swarm Empress’s speed had been impressive enough, but now it had increased several times over. Her movements easily broke the sound barrier, producing deafening booms in the relatively enclosed underground space.

Dirt and sand rained down, and the entire cave seemed on the verge of collapse. Despite being elite special force soldiers aided by auxiliary targeting systems, the Ji soldiers’ reactions still couldn’t keep up with the Swarm Empress’s movement speed. Their shots merely traced along her path.

In this way, the nearly two-hundred-strong Ji team was utterly overwhelmed in a short time. Watching the situation deteriorate rapidly, the squad leader, relying on his extensive combat experience, ordered the soldiers to throw smoke grenades and obscure the battlefield.

Although some soldiers didn’t understand the squad leader’s intent, obedience was ingrained in their bones. The new order was executed immediately.

Containers larger than the previous net rounds were thrown out, releasing thick smoke that quickly obscured the light from the flares, plunging the underground space back into darkness.

“Hold fire, activate stealth systems, and change positions!” Though the smoke spread rapidly, several more Ji soldiers were killed by Sarah before the visibility was completely blocked. The remaining soldiers had no time to mourn their comrades; if they didn’t quickly reverse the situation, they would soon become the ones being mourned.

The Ji race’s stealth systems included optical simulation, sound suppression, thermal masking, and more. Compared to the Swarm’s stealth capabilities, theirs seemed more powerful and comprehensive.